


Sons of Batman

by writer171105



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Brothers, Dick Grayson is Bruce's biological son, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27701612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writer171105/pseuds/writer171105
Summary: Description:Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.This is completeI own nothing but the plot!
Relationships: Barbara Gordon & Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue: 

Dick's POV 

I waited for the guards to pass before running across the courtyard, seeking shelter behind a pillar. I waited for the next group of guards before running along the next bit to the wall. That wall was the only thing keeping me from my freedom, and I was going to let it stop me. Before I could climb it, however, another small obstacle darted from the shadows, coming to stand in my way. 

"No, Dick," the high-pitched voice of my three year old brother said, "I'm not letting you leave."   
"Dami," I sighed, bending down to his level, "you know better than anyone why I can't stay here."   
"But you're the heir to the league of Shadows ," he protested, "you can't just leave!"   
"Dami," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I don't belong in this life, you know that. It's just not who I am. Besides, I think we both know that you'd be a much better assassin than me."   
He gave me a sad smile.   
"I suppose so."   
I gave him a quick hug.   
"I promise that I'll sneak in to visit," I told him, winking at him before jumping up onto the wall.   
"And, Dick?"   
"Yes, Dami?"   
"Don't die, okay?"   
I grinned at him.   
"What, me? Richard Al Guhl, son of Talia Al Guhl and some unknown man I've never met, die? Wouldn't dream of it."   
Damian grinned back at me. That was the last I saw of my brother before I jumped over the wall. Little did I know that it would be another seven years before I next saw him.


	2. Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 1:

Dick's POV 

I decided to use the skills I had learnt from my mother and grandfather for good, not killing people, just foiling villains' plans. Stopping mugging, robberies and basically wreaking havoc for the Gotham underworld. 

I had decided to go to Gotham as it was America's most crime-infested city, Bludhaven coming a close second. 

I knew that there was already a hero in Gotham known as Batman, leader of the Justice League and self-proclaimed 'World' s Greatest Detective'. I also knew that he hated any other heroes on his turf, so I tried to keep my distance from him. 

I did actually manage it for a while, but inevitably came across him eventually. He was furious when he found that someone else had been fighting crime in his city, and swiftly knocked me out by catching me unawares and throwing knockout-gas pellets to the floor. 

I awoke to find my wrist bound together behind my back and my ankles tied to the legs of the chair I was sitting on. I groaned. I hated being treated like a criminal, although I suppose it was only to be expected as I had chosen to wear my League of Shadows uniform when out crime-fighting. 

When Batman heard me groan, he came into the room and glared at me sharply. I had heard about the infamous 'Batglare', but I didn't find it as intimidating as everyone made it out to be. I just glared straight back at him.   
“Who are you?” he demanded  
I continued to glare at him.  
“Are you a member of the League of Shadows?”  
“No,” I replied, a little too sharply.  
“Then why are you wearing their uniform?”  
“My mother is,” I replied, truthfully, “she tried to make me into an assassin as well, but I didn’t want to be one, so I ran away and came to Gotham.”  
“And your father?”  
I shrugged, “I don’t know who is, or even if he’s alive. My mother never spoke about him.”  
He gave me an assessing look before leaving the room. I was left still tied to the chair and for all of my effort, I couldn’t get free. Batman really knew his stuff.

He eventually returned a few hours later and I was actually grateful as I had been spending the time counting to a million in Romanian and was trying to decide what to do next when he arrived.  
“You can speak Romanian?” he asked  
“Romanian,Spanish, French, Russian, German, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Manderin, Japanese and quite a few other languages.”  
He nodded in response.  
“Have you ever been to school?”  
I shook my head, “No, but I’ve had private tuition since the age of four.”  
“And how old are you now?”  
I wasn’t sure if I should answer his question, but then again, it wasn’t as if I wore a mask and I did want him to like me.  
“Thirteen,” I replied.  
“And what is your name?”  
“Richard,” I said, “but I prefer to be called Dick.”  
“Surname?”  
I thought quickly. I couldn’t tell him my actual surname, so I made one up.  
“Grayson.”  
He nodded, accepting it easily. I was relieved. It was the only lie I had told him.  
He then left for a little while longer, and I resumed my counting, this time in Portuguese.

“Well, Dick,” Batman said, coming back into the room, “how about you make a deal with me?”  
“What sort of a deal?” I asked, skeptically.  
“Either I return you to your mother,”  
“No,” I said, alarmed, “ I can’t go back there!”  
“Then, you must come and live with me.”  
“With you?” I asked, surprised  
He nodded, “ As it seems you have your heart set on the hero business, I have decided to train you. I can’t leave you out on the streets by yourself and I can’t put you into an orphanage because of your background and training.”  
I simply nodded, not entirely sure how to reply.  
“Good,” he said, “your first lesson is being able to untie those ropes. After that, training every morning at 05:30 am, ad you’ll also need a name.”  
While untying the ropes, I thought about the name, eventually settling on the nickname Damian had for me.  
“What about ‘Robin’?”


	3. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 2:

Dick’s POV

That’s the story of how I ended up moving in with Gotham’s one and only Bruce Wayne, the infamous Batman, and becoming his Ward. I also attended Gotham Academy as it’s top student.

By night, we were Batman and Robin, the dynamic duo, patrolling the city and doing our best to keep Gothamites safe.

It all went well for the next five years but everything changed after I graduated. I told Bruce that I wanted to be a cop, a detective for GCPD, but he didn't approve. We had a huge argument, that ended with me quitting as Robin and leaving Gotham for Blüdhaven, where I became known as it’s new hero, Nightwing.Bruce and I did eventually make up, but things were never quite the same between us. I did become a cop though, despite Brice’s protests, for BPD and a pretty good one at that, becoming a lieutenant within the first two years.

I was aware that Bruce had taken on other Robins after me. The first, Jason Todd, was killed and then came back to life as the Red Hood. Then there was Tim Drake. He and I actually got on quite well and spoke often.

Then one day, a few weeks after my 20th birthday, I went to Gotham to follow up on a lead as Nightwing. I was interrupted, however, when I saw a kid dressed in a League of Shadows uniform attacking a man with a sword. I intervened just a s the kid was about to bring the sword, a katana I noticed, down over the man’s head. I knocked the kid to the side and caught the katana, something I hadn't held for seven years.

I threw it to the ground and focused my attention on the kid.  
“The psychos just keep getting younger,” I chuckled.  
The kid glared at me before rushing at me, shouting.

A few minutes later and the kid had been thoroughly defeated, tied up and gagged. I ended up with many cuts, the kid having got a hold of his katana again. There was something about the kid that seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. 

I phoned Bruce.  
“I have a kid here,” I told him, “He says he’s your son.”  
“Bring him to the cave,” Bruce replied, “I’ll be back soon.”

I took the kid to the Batcave and untied the boy, Bruce’s son.  
“So,” he asked me, “what’s your name?”  
“Richard,” I replied, “but you can call me Dick.”  
“I have an older brother, you know,” the boy said, out-of-the-blue, “His name is Richard but he also prefers to be called Dick. He’s also Bruce’s son.”  
“Does Bruce know this?” I asked, turning away from him to get out the medical supplies I needed to clean my cuts.  
“No,” the boy replied, “I haven’t seen my brother for seven years.’


	4. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 3:

Dick's POV 

I turned to him sharply, studying him carefully from behind my mask. The last time I had seen my brother had also been seven years ago.  
“What did you say your name was?” I asked him, carefully  
“Damian,” he replied, “Damian Al Guhl Wayne. Son of Talia Al Guhl and Bruce Wayne.”  
It was him. My little brother Damian, whom I hadn’t seen for seven years. And he had just, unknowingly, given me some very important information; The identity of my father.

I felt like I was drowning. I couldn’t breathe. I dropped the things I was holding and ran back to my motorbike and raced out of the Batcave, away from my little brother.

Bruce’s POV

I arrived back at the cave, expecting to see Dick there with Damian, but was surprised to find only the latter.  
“Where’s Dick?” I asked Damian.  
He shrugged, “I don’t know. He just raced out of here in the middle of our conversation.”  
I frowned. That didn’t seem like Dick.  
“What were you talking about?”  
“I’m not sure if Mother told you,” he replied, “but I have an older brother.’  
I raised my eyebrows in surprise.  
“No, she didn’t. Is that what you were talking to Dick about? Your brother?”  
Damian nodded.  
“Tell me about him.”  
“I haven’t seen him for about seven years,” Damian began, “he ran away from the League when he was 13, so i suppose he’d be about 20 now. He had black hair and blue eyes. He ran away because he didn’t want to be an assassin. He told me before he left that being an assassin just wasn’t who he was, so he ran away.’  
“What is his name?”  
“It’s quite strange actually,” Damian said, thoughtfully, “His name’s Richard, but he also prefers Dick. Why do you ask? I haven’t seen him since he ran away.”  
“Because,” I said, slowly, “ I think you just have.”


	5. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 4:

Bruce’s POV

Dick. Damian’s brother is actually Dick Grayson. My biological son has been right in front of me this whole time, and I didn’t know it. I suppose now, that his surname when he met me wasn’t Grayson but Al Guhl and, as far as I knew, that was the only lie he had ever told me.

I stood staring at the DNA test results on my computer screen, comparing my, Dick’s and Damian’s DNA. Across all three, was the word “MATCH”

“Hey, Bruce,” Tim said, coming to stand besides me, “what are you working on?” he looked at the screen in front of us.  
“Hang on a second!” he exclaimed, “I understand about the kid, but Dick? Why are you comparing his DNA to yours in the first place? And why does it match?”  
“Damian told me,” I replied, dry-mouthed, “that he has an older brother whom he hasn’t seen for seven years. His brother ran away from the League when he was 13, not wanting to be an assassin.Damian described him as having black hair, blue eyes, and said that his name was Richard, but that he prefered to be called Dick.”  
Tim stared at me speechlessly.  
“With that,” I continued, “ and the fact that Dick drove out of this cave this afternoon while Damian was telling him about his brother, I came to the conclusion that Richard Grayson and Richard Al Guhl are, in fact, one in the same.”  
“Wow,” Tim breathed.  
We both stood there silently for a bit, staring at the screen.  
“The real question is,” Tim said eventually, “Where is Dick now?”

Dick’s POV

I ran away to the only place I could think of where Bruce wouldn’t immediately come looking for me. I knew Damian would have told him what had happened and what we had been talking about, and that Bruce would work it out from there, so I had to keep my distance. I had only just found out that Bruce was my father, and I wasn’t ready to face him just yet.

So I ran away from yet another parent, this time taking refuge at my best friend, Wally West’s house. Wally, also known as Kid Flash, had been my best friend since I had first become Robin seven years ago. He knew only the things about my past that I had told him, the same things I had told Bruce when I first met him.

I was still dressed in my Nightwing suit and mask, although I had cleaned out the cuts Damian gave me.  
I gained access to his house through the upstairs guest-bedroom window and went downstairs to find Wally. I found him in the kitchen, as expected, eating food as usual. He had his back towards me , searching in the cupboards for something.  
“Wally?”  
He jumped in surprise, causing him to drop the packet of chips he was holding.  
“Dick!” he cried, turning around to face me, “Don't startle me like that!”  
His eyes widened when he saw the state both me and my suit were in. He then looked up at my expression.  
“What happened?”  
“If you don’t mind,” I said, “I need a place to crash for the night.”  
“Of course,” Wally replied, “You know you’re always welcome. But only if you tell me what’s happened.”  
I nodded, “For this, you might want to sit down.”  
“That bad, huh?”

He went and sat down on the sofa in the sitting room and sat down on the sofa in the sitting room. I seated myself in the one opposite him.  
“Alright,” he said, now munching on a bowl of popcorn, “spill.”  
I sighed and took off my mask.  
“Well,” I began, “do you remember when i told you about my past?”  
“Yeah,” Wally replied, “Your mom was an assassin and she tried to make you into one too, but you didn’t want to be one so you ran away and that’s how you met Bruce and became Robin etc, etc.”  
“That’s mostly right,” I continued, “but there are some things I didn’t tell you.”  
“Does Bruce know what you are going to tell me?”  
“I didn’t actually tell him,” I replied, “but I’m sure he’s worked it out by now.”  
“And that’s why you need a place to stay for the night?”  
I nodded.  
“Well, continue then.”  
“Alright,” I said, “The first thing is that I have a brother.”  
Wally nearly choked on his popcorn.  
“He’s ten years younger than me,” I continued, “and we both have the same parents.”  
“But I thought you didn’t know who your father is?”  
“I’ll get to that later,” I replied, “Anyway, you know how I never told you my mother’s name?”  
“Yeah?”  
“The reason for that is that I didn’t want you to know,” I looked away from him, not meeting his eyes, “I didn't want everyone to think differently of me just because of my mother's identity."  
"Dick!" Wally cried, "who could possibly be so bad that you wouldn't want anyone to know?"   
"Talia Al Guhl," I told him.   
This time, Wally did actually choke on his popcorn.   
"You mean to tell me," he said, " that your mother is the Talia Al Guhl, daughter of, oh my, your grandfather is…"   
"Ra's Al Guhl, yes," I replied, still not meeting his eyes.   
"This is… insane!" Wally exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and knocking over his bowl of popcorn as he did so, "that makes you…"   
"The heir to the League of Shadows," I finished for him, "See, this is why I didn't want to tell anyone. You would form an opinion of me just because of that!"   
"Dick," Wally said, coming up to me and putting a hand on my shoulder, "you're still my best friend, no matter who your parents are. Nothing is going to change that."   
"Thanks Wally," I replied, giving him a small smile, "that means a lot to me. But there's still more I need to tell you."   
"Alright," he said, "I'm all ears."   
I explained about my encounter with Damian.   
"So the kid's Bruce's son?" Wally clarified   
I nodded, "But that's not all. After I told him my name, he suddenly told me that he had an older brother that he hadn't seen for seven years. When I asked him his name, he told me that it was Damian Al Guhl Wayne and that he was the son of Talia AL Guhl and Bruce Wayne. But the thing is, Wally, is that he told me that his brother's name was Richard and that he preferred to be called Dick. "  
Wally stared at me, speechlessly.   
" The kid's my brother, Wally, " I choked," I'm Bruce's son. "


	6. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 5:

Dick's POV 

"I see," Wally said, thickly," why you need a place to crash for the night. "  
"Thanks Wally, " I said. 

I did not dare to go on patrol that night, in case Bruce was looking for me. I slept in the guest bedroom at Wally's house, having thankfully kept a spare set of clothes and pajamas there in case of emergencies. I was exhausted from all of the emotional trauma that day, but my mind was too full of thoughts to sleep.

I couldn't stop thinking about Damian and Bruce. I wondered what Bruce had thought when he found out and if he was angry with me for lying to him about my surname for all those years. I wondered what emotions he felt, if any, and what his opinion of me now. I wondered if he had told the others, Jason, Tim, Alfred, Babs and if Damian now knew that I was actually his brother. I wondered how I was ever going to face speaking to Bruce again.

I eventually fell asleep, my eyes drifting closed, but it was a restless night.

Bruce’s POV

I looked at my son’s sleeping form through the window, my own flesh and blood, with my DNA coursing through his veins.

I wondered why he had lied about his surname all those years ago, but i suppose that I wouldn’t have taken him in if I knew of his parentage. Al Guhls were known to be hard, ruthless killers, a description which didn’t suit Dick at all. I supposed that that was why Dick had run away in the first place. Being the oldest son, he was supposed to be the League’s heir, but he didn’t want to be an assassin in the first place, so he ran.

He obviously hadn’t known I was his father either, until Damian had told him who he was. I supposed it had come as quite a shock, as it had for me, and explained why he was currently sleeping in Wally’s guest bedroom.

I sighed. I had always loved Dick as a son, even when we argued. Now that I knew that he really was my son, I wasn’t sure how I was ever going to speak to him again.

Dick’s POV

I awoke the next morning feeling as though I hadn’t slept at all. I phoned my office to say that I was sick, and they didn’t mind as I hadn't taken a day’s sick leave since I’d started two years ago.

I grudgingly got changed and went downstairs to find Wally in the kitchen as usual, eating a bowl of cereal. I made another one for myself and when to sit down next to him.  
“You know,” Wally said, managing to smirk with a mouthful of cereal, “You do actually look like Bruce, especially when you’re grouchy.”  
I shot him one of my fiercest glares  
“Not helpful, Wally.”  
“Alright, alright,” he said.  
We both sat in silence for a bit.

“So,” Wally said, eventually, “Artemis is coming over later and she’ll probably ask you why you’re here. What should we tell her?”  
I thought about it for a minute. Artemis, Wally’s girlfriend, was very perceptive. She would notice that something was up.

“You can tell her,” I said, “ she’ll realise something is up anyway.”  
“But what about your secret ID?” Wally asked, “in order for her to understand, we’d have to tell her.”  
“It’s fine, Wally,” I assured him, “it’s about time she knew anyway.”

When Artemis arrived later that morning, she was indeed surprised to find me there. She glanced between Wally and I, her eyes narrowed.  
“What’s going on?” She asked.  
Wally gave me a look, as if to say, ‘How did you know?’  
“It’s a very long story,” I told Artemis   
“I have time,”she replied

We all went and sat down in the sitting room, similarly to the way Wally and I had been the day before.

“Okay,” Artemis said, “what happened?”  
I explained my past to her, the same way I had to Wally, adding in the parts she didn’t know.  
“So, your mother’s an assassin?”  
I nodded.  
“I mean, I get it. You should see my parents.”  
I glanced at Wally. He nodded, telling me to tell her.

“I think I should tell you,” I said to Artemis, “that I actually do know about your parents.”   
She was stunned, “How? Did Wally tell you?”  
She glared at him. Wally sunk lower in his seat.  
“No,” I said, giving her a small smile, “Wally didn’t tell me.”  
She took her gaze off her boyfriend   
“How then?”  
“Does this explain it?” I asked, removing my mask from my pocket and showing it to her.  
Her eyes widened in realization, “You’re…”  
“Nightwing,” Wally finished for her, impatiently , “I know! Now can you please let Dick continue?”  
Artemis nodded slowly.

I continued with the story, explaining to Artemis about my mother. When I told her her name, Artemis managed to choke on air.  
“Are you being serious?!”  
I nodded.  
“Is he?”   
She turned to Wally   
“Yep.”  
“And that’s not all,” I told Artemis  
“You mean there’s more?”  
“Yes,” Wally replied for me, “a lot more.”

I continued explaining to Artemis, Wally adding in his two cents every once in a while. When I had finished, Artemis was almost speechless. Almost, but not quite.  
“So yesterday, you found out that you’re actually Bruce’s biological son, and neither of you knew about it?”  
“Pretty much.” I replied.  
“And one last thing?”  
“Yes?”  
“Bruce is Batman, isn’t he?”  
I smiled at her, “How did you guess?”


	7. Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 6:

Dick’s POV

“Dick,”Wally said, “I really don’t mind you staying here. Besides, where are you going to go?”  
“Thanks Wally,” I said, “but I’ve got somewhere organized.”  
“Where?”  
I shook my head  
“I’m not going to tell you. That way, if someone comes looking for me, you can truthfully say that you don’t know where I am.”  
“But what if I need to contact you?”  
“You have my cell phone number, don’t you?”  
He sighed.  
“You really have thought this through, haven’t you?”  
“Of course,” I replied, flashing him a grin, “and I promise I’ll come back soon. I just need some time to think things through.”  
“Just, be careful,” Wally said, pulling me into a hug.  
“Always,” I replied.

I then picked up my bag of belongings and walked out of Wally’s front door.

Bruce’s POV

“Are you telling me,” Jason demanded, “that Goldie is not only your son, but also the Demon Head’s grandson?”  
“Yes,” I sighed  
“And that Demon Spawn is his brother?”  
“Yes,” I replied.  
Jason uttered a few, obscene words.  
Barbra smacked him on the back of the head.  
“What?!” He cried.  
“She glared at him, “don’t swear in front of kids!”  
“I am not a kid!” Damian growled, glaring at her.  
“Well, what are you then? A grouchy kangaroo?”  
“Damian lunged at Jason, but I stepped between them, stopping him in his tracks.  
“Stop fighting!” I said, “we are never going to find Dick if we continue in this fashion!”  
“I thought you said he was at Wally’s house?” asked Tim.  
I shook my head.  
“No, he would have moved on by now. He's got a safe house somewhere, I’m certain of it.”  
“How are we going to find him?”  
“We don’t ,” I replied, “we wait for him to come to us.”

Dick’s POV

Before I went to my secret hideaway, I snuck into my apartment to fetch a few supplies. I climbed in through one of the windows. I couldn’t be sure that Bruce hadn’t hacked the building’s security feed. He wouldn’t be able to hack mine, I had built it myself.

I grabbed a rucksack and threw in all necessary items, including clothes, everything I would need when staying away from society for a while.

I then packed another bag with food and water. If necessary, I could go out to get some more. It wasn’t as if I was hiding from my would-be assassin, just my family.

Lastly, I wrote a letter, leaving it on the kitchen countertop, addressed to Bruce.  
I took one last glance around the room, making sure I had everything, before climbing back out of the window into the alleyway below.

I was about to walk out onto the street, when I saw Bruce’s car pull up in front of the building. I quickly ducked back into the alleyway, grateful that I was good at blending into the shadows. When I was sure that Bruce hadn’t seen me and had gone inside, I walked out onto the streets, heading for my Gotham safe house.

Bruce’s POV

I entered Dick’s apartment using the spare key he kept at the manor. I looked around to see if I could find any leads to where he might have gone, but I came up empty. I did realize, though, that Dick had already been, as his wardrobes and cupboards were empty. He had taken his things with him.

The one thing I did find was a letter, addressed to me, on the kitchen counter. I opened it and began to read:

Dear Bruce,

I’m sorry

I’m sorry for lying to you about my surname all those years ago. My 13 year old self was afraid that you wouldn’t listen to me if you knew that my surname was “Al Guhl”, because your mind would be clouded by it. I see now that I should have told you, even if not at first, at least when I was older.

I’m also sorry that I’ve been avoiding you recently. It’s just that I need some time to clear my head and figure things out for myself.

Please tell Damian that I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise to him seven years ago, and please tell him that I’ll return soon. Tell Jason NOT to swear in front of Damian or I will personally come and throttle him. Tell Tim that I’m proud of him and tell Babs that I love her.

And finally, I just want to say that I’m sorry, again.

Love,  
Dick

I sighed. Dick had nothing to be sorry for. If anything, I was the one that should be sorry. Sorry that he couldn’t have trusted me enough to tell me who he was. I had to find him and explain.

The only problem was that it was Dick I was trying to find. He would have covered his tracks very well, so would have to think of another way to find him. I could try phoning him, but he probably wouldn’t answer and, if he did, he had probably blocked his location. I’d have to find another way. 

Time to call in the troops.


	8. Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 7:

Dick’s POV

As I walked the short distance from the pavement to my safe house, I was ambushed.

With so many things on my mind, I wasn’t really concentrating properly, and didn’t notice until it was too late.

They jumped on me from behind, just as I turned to counter the attack. On a normal day, I would have beaten them easily, but that day was anything but normal. Eventually, after we both put up a good fight, I was knocked unconscious by a second person from behind.

When I awoke, it was to a splitting headache and darkness, a lot of darkness. I groaned. I already had so much on my mind, I didn't need kidnapping to be added to the list.

Eventually, I heard footsteps coming towards me, light ones that spoke of heels and femininity. I had a hunch about who it could be. I hoped I was wrong.

I wasn’t 

She came striding into the room confidently, no doubt because I was bound to a metal chair by chains.  
“Mr Grayson,” she sneered, “how lovely to see you again.”  
“Talia,” I replied, with venom, “I wish I could say the feeling was mutual.”  
“What do you mean?” she asked in surprise, “aren’t you glad to see your mother after all these years?”  
I opened my eyes wider in surprise. How did she know?

She seemed to notice this as she laughed, “You look too much like him. I knew it had to be you. Strange, you end up living with him, not knowing that he’s your real father.”  
I glared at her.  
“What do you want from me?”  
“Come now, Richard,” she said, impatiently, “I thought that would have been obvious. With your grandfather’s death…”  
I cut her off.  
“He is not my grandfather!” I shouted at her, “just like you are not my mother! You ceased to be so once I left the league!”  
She glared at me harshly. I just glared straight back at her. If you can withstand the Batglare, you can withstand anything.  
She slapped me across the face. I bore it easily, having experienced much worse. My mother glared at me once more, before continuing her ‘speech’

“As I was saying,” she shot me a filthy look, “since your grandfather’s death, the league has been without a leader. The duty, naturally, cannot fall to me, nor to Damian as he is too young and under-trained. Therefore it falls to you, my dear Richard, to become the leader of the League of Shadows.”  
I glared at her in a mixture of shock and fury.  
“I am never becoming one of you!” I replied, bitterly, “not again.”  
“But, Richard,” she smirked, which I did not appreciate, “I’m afraid you’ll have to. You see, I happen to have the exact whereabouts of everyone you love and care about, on hand and easily accessible, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”   
She smiled sickly, knowing that she had got me.  
“What about the holidays?” I asked, sarcastically.  
She glared at me again.  
“I think,” she said, lightly, “that you will find it to be best if you do not talk back to me.”

With that, she left the room, leaving me glaring venomously at her back. I had to think of a plan.

I spent the next few hours in the dark coming up with one. Eventually, I smiled to myself.

I shouted loudly to the guards who, I knew were standing outside the door, demanding to see my mother. She soon came, bathing the room in light as the door opened, looking smug.

“Have you finally come to your senses?”  
“It wasn’t as if I had much choice.”  
“Is that a ‘yes’ then?”  
“It is,” I replied, “but on 1 condition.”  
“And that is?”  
I told her.  
“Alright,” she agreed, nodding, “that is a reasonable request.”

3rd person POV

Alfred was busy preparing dinner when he heard a knock on the manor’s front doors. He placed the bowl he was holding on the counter and walked to the hall, wondering who it could be.

He opened the large doors and found, to his astonishment, Dick standing there.  
“Hey, Alfie,” he said, “mind if I come in?”  
Alfred stood back to let the young man inside and closed the doors behind him. Dick then pulled the British man into a hug. The butler hugged him back, by now used to his affections.

“Where is everyone?” Dick asked.  
“I would presume that they are out looking for you.”  
Dick thought for a minute, trying to decide how to go about things.  
“That’s fine,” he said, eventually, “I’ll wait for them to come back. What I have to tell everyone isn’t urgent.”  
Alfred nodded silently, agreeing that it would be best for the household to return in their own time.

“Would you like something to eat in the meantime?”  
Dick smiled, “that would be great, thanks Alfie.”

What Dick didn’t know was that Alfred was planning to put some sleeping medication in his food, having noticed the younger man’s tiredness.

After a few minutes, Dick yawned, excusing himself for a nap until the others returned. Alfred smiled to himself. His methods had always worked, and still no one knew that he was actually using them.

Dick trudged up the stairs to the bedroom he stayed in while at the manor, feeling more weary with every step. Eventually, he collapsed on his bed, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	9. Part 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 8:

3rd person POV

When the Wayne manor residents and other associates did eventually return, it was, strangely, all at the same time. They were all tired and frustrated, having found no leads to Dick at all. They were all soon caught up on the news by Alfred, who told them that their target was currently asleep upstairs in his bedroom, and had been for the past hour or so. Bruce asked how he had arrived, and his butler explained to him, mentioning the fact that Dick had something to tell them. Bruce thanked him, and they all got changed into normal clothes before Bruce and Damian went to check on Dick. The others, Jason, Tim and Barbra stayed in the kitchen to have some of Alfred’s cookies.

Damian, although he wouldn’t admit it, was nervous. He hadn’t seen his brother in 7 years, excluding their brief exchange a few days previously. He felt that that didn’t count.

Bruce was also nervous. Dick had been his son, his blood son, this whole time and neither of them had known it. How would this change things between them?

The door to Dick’s room was opened slowly, the entrees not wanting to disturb the occupant.

Bruce smiled to himself when he saw Dick. The 20 year old was draped right across the bed, on his back and fully-dressed, snoring softly. He looked so peaceful lying there, you never would have thought that he was the son of Batman, nor that he could knock you unconscious or kill you, if he wanted to, in at least 25 different ways.

Damian walked up to the bed and looked at his older brother’s face for the first time in 7 years, taking note of the changes to his features. His jawline had sharpened, as had his nose. There was a small, almost unnoticeable, scar just below his left eye, and another on his cheek. His face may have matured, but you could still tell it was the same Dick as when Damian had last seen him. He glanced between his brother’s and father’s faces. Yes, he could definitely see the similarities.

“Father,” Damian asked, quietly, “would you mind if I sit with Richard until he wakes up?”  
Bruce, slightly surprised, nodded, glad that his seemingly unemotional son was showing affection. He left the room quietly, closing the door behind him, before joining the others in the kitchen.

Dick's POV

I groaned as I woke up and slowly opened my eyes. The room was dark and shady, so I could only vaguely make out my surroundings. I realised that I was in my room at the manor, and my memories from the past few hours came flooding back to me. I wondered how long I had slept for. Judging by the scarce amount of light coming in through the gap in the curtains, it had been a couple of hours. I wondered if everyone was back yet.

My question was soon answered as I felt someone stir in the bed besides me. I turned to the side to find Damian lying there, sleeping peacefully. I smiled to myself. I had really missed him in the 7 years since I'd last seen him, the only person I had missed since I'd left the league.

"Dick," he muttered in his sleep.  
I smiled  
"I'm right here, Dami" I whispered in his ear.  
He stirred again, rolling over towards me, before blinking his eyes open. I smiled at him. He just looked at me in surprise for a moment.  
"Hey, Dami," I said.

He caught me by surprise, giving me a hug. I sat up and hugged him back.  
"I missed you," he whispered.  
"Me too, Dami," I replied, "me too."

Damian and I walked down the large flight of stairs to find the others, eventually ending up in the sitting room where everyone was sitting on sofas, either asleep, watching TV or in Bruce’s case, pacing up and down. He stopped pacing when he saw Damian and I standing in the doorway. For a moment, we all just looked at each other, not sure what to do. I mean, what do you say when you find out you’re actually related to the person you’ve been living with for almost half your life?

Damian walked inside of the room, glancing at Bruce before seating himself on the sofa next to Barbra, switching on the TV and grabbing a bowl of popcorn from the table. Bruce and I followed him with our eyes as he did so, before looking back at one another.

“Bruce,” I began, “ I’m sorry, for lying to you when I first met you. I shouldn’t have. At the time, I was scared, scared that you would think differently of me because of who I was. If I had to go back and do it all again, I would tell you. And I'm sorry for just leaving like that. I don't know why I did it, I…”  
I was cut off by Bruce.  
“There is no reason for you to be sorry, Dick,” he said, “what you did was completely understandable, both in the present and the past. You don’t have to apologize.”  
He smiled at me, one of the few genuine smiles I had ever seen him give. I smiled back at him, before we both embraced each other in a hug.  
“Shall we call it ‘truce’ then?” I asked.  
“Certainly,” he replied, “although Alfred did mention that you had something to tell us?”  
I shook my head slightly   
“It’s very complicated to explain. I would prefer to wait until the others have woken up.  
Bruce nodded in agreement   
“Yes, of course.”

He and I both seated ourselves on either side of Damian. I was seated between him and Babs while Bruce was seated between him and Tim.

Everyone eventually woke up about an hour later by Damian shouting at the TV screen, which was currently showing ‘Frozen’, something about ‘emotional trauma’, I think. I meanwhile, was busy laughing at him and Bruce was trying to calm him down, keyword, trying. Needless to say, the commotion woke everyone up.

Now that everyone was awake, I decided it would be a good time to tell them my news. We all decided that the dining room would be a better place to talk, so we all migrated towards it, Bruce sitting at the head of the table as usual.

I, meanwhile, was deciding on the best way to break it to them. They were all looking at me expectantly. I cleared my throat, choosing the simplest, but probably most chaotic way to tell them.  
“To put most of what I have to tell you in one sentence,” I began, “you are now looking at the new leader of The League of Shadows.”


	10. Part 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Part 9:

Dick’s POV

The chaos I had expected occurred as everyone, except for Bruce of course, beg@n shouting in protest. My feeble attempts to calm them down did no good, so I resorted to shouting louder than they were.  
“QUIET!”  
They all, thankfully, stopped shouting and looked at me, Jason in particular, glaring at me furiously.

“How am I supposed to explain anything,” I asked, calmly, “if you are all shouting over me?”  
They didn’t respond.  
“That’s what I thought,” I said, “Now, can you please ask questions in a calm, orderly fashion?”  
“Why?” Damian asked, abruptly, “why are you doing it?”  
“There are 2 reasons,” I replied, “the first being that you guys were threatened, although that’s not why I actually agreed, I know you can handle yourselves. The main reason is a bit more complicated.”  
I paused for a moment before continuing.

"I just thought that if I took over, we could reshape the league, give it a makeover if you like. Simply change the way that things are done so that instead of training assassins, we train heroes. We kick out the corrupt ones and bring in new students, even possibly meta -humans who need guidance and we teach them. Basically, we turn it into a school for heroes, a sort of ‘superhero academy’. "

They all just stared at me in surprise.

“You know, Goldie,” Jason said, eventually, “I think that might just work.”


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: 
> 
> Richard Al Guhl ran away from the League of Shadows at the age of 13, leaving behind his three year old brother, Damian and his inheritance, the League of Shadows itself. He ran away to Gotham and, not knowing his father's identity, ended up living on the streets, working as a hero at night. That is, until he meets Batman and becomes the ward of Bruce Wayne.  
> Seven years later, he comes unknowingly across his younger brother, who gives him some shocking information; the identity of his father.

Epilogue:

Dick’s POV

I stood leaning against the railings as I watched the trainees. They were still learning, but had improved quite a lot over the few months since I’d taken over the league. 

Bruce, although still skeptical, came to check on things at least once a week. Damian had decided to move into the league headquarters with me.Jason, Tim, Wally and Artemis came most days, and assisted in training. 

My mother, meanwhile, was furious, even after I pointed out that it was she who demanded I become the new leader in the first place. She eventually stopped shouting, although I wasn’t sure if it was because she had given in, or because she was scheming behind my back, which worried me.

So far, my plan was working quite well, and it didn’t even interfere with my day job!

I was glad to be finally reunited with my little brother, although it didn't make me love Jason and Tim any less. I also had Babs as my girlfriend, and she was always there to support me.

I had everythingI could ever have wanted, three brothers, a wonderful girlfriend, an amazing best friend (and his girlfriend), and I had found the father I had always wanted. Who could want more than that?

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading my fic ! I hope you enjoyed! ❤️


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